Bangkok Post reports on Tai’s hunger strike

Panitan Prueksakasemsuk, a student who started a 112-hour hunger strike on Saturday in sympathy for his jailed father, is wondering whether he will follow in his father’s activist footsteps.

* Published: 14/02/2012 at 12:00 AM
* Newspaper section: topstories

Panitan Prueksakasemsuk, son of lese majeste suspect Somyot, has his head shaved to protest against the court’s repeated rejections of his father’s bail requests. The move was part of his hunger strike at Bangkok’s Criminal Court which passed its second day yesterday. SURAPOL PROMSAKA NA SAKOLNAKORN

Even as he passed the second day of his hunger strike in protest at the court’s refusal to grant his father bail on lese majeste charges, Panitan said he never thought he would find himself protesting as his father has done before him.

”It does not mean I don’t like what my father has been doing. Of course, he’s doing things for the good of other people,” Mr Panitan, 20, said yesterday.

”But I never imagined myself in his shoes.”

He had his head shaved Monday to protest against the Criminal Court’s decision to deny, for the eighth time, a bail request by his father, lese majeste defendant Somyot Prueksakasemsuk.

Mr Panitan, a law student at Thammasat University, once dreamed of being a prosecutor or a judge.

Now, as a protester languishing in front of the court, he said he is no longer certain if he can hold on to that dream.

”We cannot choose our fathers,” said Mr Panitan, widely known among his friends and family as ”Tai” meaning ”freedom”.

Mr Panitan has done well academically. His average grade as a second year student is 84% _ one more percentage point and he could receive a bachelor’s degree with honours upon graduation.

”I’m not sure if my surname will count against me,” Mr Panitan said wryly.

His father, Mr Somyot, was a labour activist before he took on a job as publisher of the now-defunct Voice of Thaksin magazine.

He was arrested last April near the Thai-Cambodian border and charged under Section 112 of the Criminal Code over two magazines articles that were deemed critical of the monarchy.

If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to three decades.

Mr Panitan, the elder of Mr Somyot’s two children, began the hunger strike on Saturday at 4pm.

He wrote a letter to the court yesterday _ his second since he started the hunger strike, and shorter than the first.

”To uphold justice that is dear to all citizens in this country and to minimise the impact on [lese majeste] suspects, including my father and other prisoners on the same charge, may I plead for the mercy of the court to grant bail without prejudice or political reasons.

”Otherwise, I will have to continue this peaceful protest for the sake of their basic rights,” Mr Panitan wrote.

Asked how he felt after reaching the half-way mark of his hunger strike, which will end on Thursday at 11am _ the 112 hours being a symbolic reference to Section 112 of the Criminal Code under which his father was charged _ he said he felt numb.

”It is likely to be a long quest for justice for my father and everyone. Their struggle will surely take a long time while the hunger strike and I are but a part of a long and bigger process to strive for justice for all,” said Mr Panitan, trying to keep his eyes closed to block out the noise and dust around him.

He regards himself as an apprentice political activist.

”I might be walking on the same path [as my father] after all. I don’t know. It seems as if society values social and political activists. I might be one,” the young man said.

Mr Panitan is not alone in his protest. Phusadee Ngamkham, the last red-shirted supporter to leave the Ratchaprasong protest site as authorities closed in on May 19, 2010, is also fasting to protest against the court’s bail decision.

A third person, a member of the 24 June Group Against Dictatorship, has shaved his head, but is not joining the hunger strike.

Passersby stop to lend support to the young man and his two friends, who rest in hammocks by day, and sleep in tents at night.

Mr Somyot appeared in court as part of his ongoing lese majeste trial on Monday. Father and son are likely to meet again when Mr Somyot’s hearing resumes at the court in Ratchadapisek next month.

Release Joop and Tai!

"I am aware and concerned that Joop and Tai have been arrested." Singtor

"I am aware and concerned that Joop and Tai have been arrested." Sunee

"I am aware and concerned that Joop and Tai have been arrested." Fabian, Zimbabwe

"I am aware and concerned that Joop and Tai have been arrested: please help Thailand" Ramirez

"I am aware and concerned that Joop and Tai have been arrested" Apolinaire, Geneva

"Dear Joop and Tai. I am watching the situation in Thailand closely and am very concerned for your safety. I know you are strong, and hope you you will be brave and strong during this period. I will write a letter to the Thai Embassy here in Wellington sharing my concern. Stay strong." Edward, Wellington

"I am aware and concerned that Joop and Tai have been arrested." Pradit

"I am aware and concerned that Joop and Tai have been arrested." Kijin

"I am aware and concerned that Joop and Tai have been arrested." Chotipanyo

"I am aware and concerned that Joop and Tai have been arrested." Kitahata, Japan

"I hope they will be released very soon, as well as Somyot." Pierre-Marc

"free somyot and his family!" Alan

"Please release them immediately." Robert, New Zealand

"I am aware and concerned that Joop and Tai have been arrested." David, New Zealand

"You must treat them humanely and with respect and release them!" Lulu, London

"Hi beautiful Joop and Tai, All around earth we love you a lot, like Somyot. You're good, really good and so right. The best for you all. You shine in the light with wonderful blue sky and sun." Alina, Chris, Max, France

"What is the charge against them? There is no charge! Or the 'charge' is the same as the charge against all Thais ... opposing the treasonous coup d'etat of Prayuth & Co. To be a dictator you need a nation of stenographers ... and that ain't Thailand, as has become increasingly apparent since the destruction of yet another popularly elected government and the destruction of its own constitution by Royal Thai Army Coup d'Etat Number 19. Free Tai! Free Joop! Free Somyot! Free all political prisoners! Free Thailand from the hands of the Royal Thai Army!" John, UK
"Dear Joop and Tai, my thoughts are with you at this very troubling time. I have heard of your arrests and this concerns me greatly as, I know, it concerns many people internationally and organizations including Amnesty International. I can only hope that you are being treated humanely and will be released soon." Charlotte, LA

"You are wrong to arrest these people. They should be released immediately. Meanwhile, I expect to see clear evidence that Somyot, Joop and Tai's human rights are being respected." Rosemary, Peru

"I am aware and concerned that Joop and Tai have been arrested. : I am shocked and appalled to see innocent people being treated like this. Abducting the family members of peaceful activists is behaviour associated with the most evil regimes that have existed. This is how the Nazis behaved, this is how Pol Pot behaved, this how Gaddafi behaved. This is how the Junta in Myanmar/Burma behaves. Is Thailand really going to become another Burma? I really hope the Thai military stops behaving in the this disgusting and illegal way, and returns to path of democracy and respect for human rights very soon. I extend my sincerest best wishes to Somyot’s family and hope they are released very soon and unharmed." Paul, UK

"Release Joop and Tai. Release all those who are imprisoned. Release Somyot and all political prisoners" Lee, Thailand

"I am aware and concerned that Joop and Tai have been arrested." Jaap, Netherlands